My little "F"amily

The extended family...



The Prime members...



Seven out of Nine aint bad - just the 85 2.8 Soft and the 600 * 4.0 missing

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LennyBloke

Why didn't you buy the F24-50?

Lovely stuff though. I am very happy with the 1.7 F50mm and especially the F28. I have more FA lenses than F but I like the look of the F, more homogeneous. If you put the FA35, FA43, FA*85 and FA100 Macro next to each other they are all different.

Edit: is it worth picking up the F70-210? Sometimes it's sold for as little as £25 which seems tempting for what I understand is a decent zoom.

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Pentax K-1| Pentax K-01 | D-FA 28-105mm | FA 28mm F2.8 | FA 35mm F2.0 | FA 43mm F1.9 Ltd | FA 50mm F1.4 | FA 50mm F2.8 Macro | FA* 85mm F1.4 | FA 100mm F2.8 Macro | DA* 200mm F2.8 | Pentax AF 540FGZ

I very nearly did, but at present it probably wouldn't get used - the FA 20-35 is my lens of choice in this range, or the FA 24-90 otherwise. I know it's a collection but it's important that the lenses get used (and the F primes do) - I've currently got about 20 other lenses that don't get used (and I have equivalents of) - but it's hard to part with old friends (or family )

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LennyBloke

That's a nice lineup
Would be even more beutiful with more white F* lenses

You have a beautiful family ! I really like the look of the old F series, there's a sort of solid seriousness to them.

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My Guides to the Pentax Digital Camera Flash Lighting System : Download here from the PentaxForums Homepage Article .... link
Pentax K7 with BG-4 Grip / Samyang 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC / DA18-55mm f3.5-5.6 AL WR / SMC A28mm f2.8 / D FA 28-105mm / SMC F35-70 f3.5-4.5 / SMC A50mm f1.7 / Tamron AF70-300mm f4-5.6 Di LD macro / SMC M75-150mm f4.0 / Tamron Adaptall (CT-135) 135mm f2.8 / Asahi Takumar-A 2X tele-converter / Pentax AF-540FGZ (I & II) Flashes / Cactus RF60/X Flashes & V6/V6II Transceiver

Know what you mean!

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John K

I realise that the 'focus' is on primes here but the 35 -70 surely deserves a place? It's more often on than off my K5

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Both the *istDS and the K5 are incurably addicted to old glass

My page on Photocrowd - link

The F 35-70 does deserve a lot of respect but to be honest it's only really from the FA series (and onwards) that I use zooms. I've only got one F series zoom (the 24-50) and that is getting so little use that I'll be parting with it shortly

I don't think I'll ever achieve the full set of primes - I'd love the F*600/4.0 but I'd prefer to keep hold of my leg, arm and kidneys - and the F85/2.8 Soft Focus can be found but they tend to be a little overpriced for what they do (IMO).

The F Series are a bit quirky - some people love the styling, others hate it - but they still hold their own against many newer lenses. Not a series to pass by if you find one at a decent price

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LennyBloke

The only F I have is the big white one!

Used it on Saturday atop the Mourne mountains to photograph every peak in sight including Snaefell in the Isle of Man. The visibility last weekend was incredible!

Used a K30 and an MX.

Nice family Lenny

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"In a photographic context I don't like the use of the word 'shot' as where I live this word refers to an extreme act of violence and not the beautiful craft of photography"

Seeing these again, I really do think they are the best looking of all the Pentax series.

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My Guides to the Pentax Digital Camera Flash Lighting System : Download here from the PentaxForums Homepage Article .... link
Pentax K7 with BG-4 Grip / Samyang 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC / DA18-55mm f3.5-5.6 AL WR / SMC A28mm f2.8 / D FA 28-105mm / SMC F35-70 f3.5-4.5 / SMC A50mm f1.7 / Tamron AF70-300mm f4-5.6 Di LD macro / SMC M75-150mm f4.0 / Tamron Adaptall (CT-135) 135mm f2.8 / Asahi Takumar-A 2X tele-converter / Pentax AF-540FGZ (I & II) Flashes / Cactus RF60/X Flashes & V6/V6II Transceiver

I don't usually check this forum, I found this post by chance, but when I see a “family portrait“ like this, I feel... better
I love lenses, and I am a Pentaxian since long, long time, so as soon as I see these photos, immediately my mind goes to the 50mm macro, one of my most favorite lenses and one of the best macros ever.
Then I think: see... this one and that one are the lenses I don't have, and that I have unsuccessfully tried to buy a few times (short time I go I lost an auction for the 100mm macro), and immediately after that I try to realize which components of the family are missing from the picture
I love the 1.7x AF converter, such a little useful accessory. I don't use it that much these days, but i found that it works well even with a f/5.6 lens (like an old Sigma 180mm Macro from the eighties).
I'd really like to own two primes that are part of this "F family". The 100mm Macro with AF limiter and the 135mm with IF are two very good lenses, that would be very much welcomed by all their brothers, cousins and other more distant relatives i have at home... but i never found them at the right price and/or time. My compliments to the OP for owning such fine objectives, and also for the 28mm and the F* 300mm - which would be cherished as well, but would not be used that much because of my photographic habits, and because i have 28mm "A" with identical optics, and a few 300mm alternatives - though i know that the 300mm F* is a small, super sharp jewel.
Unfortunately my choice of Pentax-F lenses is not as good, most are zooms (five of them)... though i own a nice 85mm Soft Focus About zooms, i think two of them are still quite good, even by today's standards: no surprise the OP owns the 70-210mm, i'd add to the family the 35-70mm. I sold it, my bad, i guess mostly because t was just a "kit zoom" (it came with a Sfx-n a friend bought for me in the USA), but after many years i changed my mind and found another one for cheap. It's often called a stack of primes (actually, not so many, let's say two and a half).
Concerning the last post, yes Pentax-F lenses are so nice. Though i think that the nicest are the Pentax-A (including some really beautiful A*), and the FA Limited's. And those with the best build are the first generation of Pentax K. Ho ho, i think i've taken side

cheers
Paolo

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Pentax cameras:
K-1; K-5 II; K-01; K10D; K200D; 6x7; K2; MX; LX; Super Program; Z-1p
MY PK & M42 LENSES:
link
SOME OLD STUFF:
link

They've got a real timeless 'classic' appeal. They're absolutely fugly but in a beautiful way.

Thanks for all the comments. Looks-wise they are a certainly Marmite - "Best Looking", "Fugly", etc but more importantly they are still very usable, even in the days of a High Megapixel FF Pentax, they couldn't be described as Stealth lenses - the hi-speed whirr of their violent AF systems is enough to give an Eagle a heart attack, but for virtually everything else they are a very good choice.

I'm hoping to assemble a little fAmily and possible another FAmily photo shortly. Both collections have shunk and grown in equal measures so it's time for them to have a get together again

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LennyBloke

Nothing fugly about those primes.

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I know what i like, If not always why.